Boiler tube repair device



Get. 31, 1961 R. SANTOSUOSSO ETAL 3,006,380

BOILER TUBE REPAIR DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 1. 1959 Halo/1Sanfowosso John J. Mulroney 1NVENTOR$ BY flirt Oct. 31, 1961 R.SANTOSUOSSO EI'AL 3,006,380

BOILER TUBE REPAIR DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed lay l. 1959 RalphSgnfoswgs'o John J Mulroney INVENTORS BY av-My United States PatentBOILER TUBE REPAIR DEVICE Ralph Santosuosso and John J. Mahoney, both of298 Proctor Ave., Revere, Mass.

Filed May 1, 1959, Ser. No. 810,305 9 Claims. (Cl. 13891) This inventionrelates to repair devices and more particularly to a device to repairboiler tubes.

An object of the invention is to provide a practical, comparativelyeasily used boiler tube repair device which may be applied to seal olfboth ends of a leaky boiler tube while the boiler is in operation orwhen the boiler is temporarily out of operation, depending on existingconditions and the desires of the user.

Boiler tube repair is often quite difficult. Briefly, the boiler tuberepair device in accordance with this invention seals both ends of thefaulty tube while working entirely from the accessible end of the boilertube. Use of the device materially reduces the time and eifort involvedin the repair of a conventional boiler tube.

A further object of the invention is to provide a boiler tube repairdevice comprising a plurality of concentric sleeves and an innermost rodconcentric with the sleeves. Each sleeve has a lateral closure platecomponent fixed to the distal or remote end of the sleeve, said platebeing segmental or generally triangular with an arcuate outer edge. Aplurality of nuts are provided at the opposite or proximal ends of thesleeves to draw the sleeves lon itudinally and lock them in place. Byrotating the sleeves relative to each other and then tightening down thenuts, the cooperating segmental plates at the outer or distal ends ofthe sleeves may be brought to a position at which a disk-like plate isformed for sealing the distal end of the boiler tube. The proximal orinner end of the boiler tube is sealed by a gasket-equipped one-piecedisk-like plate.

Accordingly, a further object of the invention is to provide astructurally and functionally unique boiler tube repair device whichrelies on a number of telescoping concentric sleeves and a core-likeconcentric rod in the bore of the innermost sleeve, together with meansat both ends of said sleeves and rod for manipulating the tubes orsleeves and for sealing the respective ends of the defective boilertube.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a boiler having a defectiveboiler tube which is repaired by one of the repair devices.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the tube and repair device of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view taken approximately on the line 3-3of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view of the expansible and contractibleclosing head or distal plate of the repair device in position forinsertion into a defective boiler tube.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 1, with someof the nuts removed.

In the accompanying drawings there is a fragment 10 of a boiler showingone boiler tube 12 of the numerous tubes in a boiler. The boiler 10 isdefective, that is, it has a tube which would leak under normaloperating conditions. Boiler repair device 14 is shown in the defectiveboiler tube 12.

The repair device consists of an innermost rod 16 hav- 3,006,380Patented Oct. 31, 1961 ing threads 18 at one end and having a part 20 ofhead 22 at the opposite end. A first or inner sleeve 24 is mountedconcentrically and rotatably on rod 16, and there is a second orintermediate sleeve 26 concentric to and encasing sleeve 24, andfinally, an outer or third sleeve 28 concentrically and rotatablysurrounding sleeve 26. Each of the sleeves has an externally threadedend, there being threaded ends 30, 31 and 32 on sleeves 24, 26 and 28respectively. The third or outer sleeve 28 has a solid circular washeror plate 34 provided with a central aperture 35 through which sleeve 28is extended. The washer or plate 34 is slipped into place on sleeve 28just to the left of the threaded proximal end portion. EssentiallyU-shaped guides or sliding runners 36 and 37 have their lateral endswelded to the sleeve 28. The guides are preferably elongated U-shapedrods and they are located adjacent to each other. When viewed from theend (FIGURE 5) the guide rods 36 and 37 extend approximately radialoutward from the assembly of sleeves and rod and are parallel andcircumferentially spaced from each other.

The tube-end blocking and closing head 22 is made up of fourapproximately triangular or segmental plates 20, 40, 41 and 42respectively (FIGURE 4). Plates 41 and 42 have confronting shallowrecesses 43 and 44 at their inner ends, while plate 40 has a deeperrecess 46 facing plate 41. Plate 20 has a stepped recess 48 which isdeeper than the recess 46, enabling all of the plates 20, 40, 41 and 42to form an approximately planar assembly when the four plates arerotated with respect to each other and to a position at which therecessed portions of each of the plates nest (FIGURE 3).

Front and rear heat resistant flexible (e.g. plastic) gaskets 50 and 52are concentrically mounted on the rod and sleeve assembly. Gasket 50fits between the front end of boiler tube 12 and the rear or confrontingface of plate 34. Gasket 52 is engaged on the outer surface of the thirdsleeve 28 and fits between the face of the plates of head 22 and theadjacent end of boiler tube 12. This forms a seal for the ends of thetube.

An optional sleeve 56 fits over the threaded ends of the sleeves 28, 24and 26. Sleeve 56 has an end wall 58 provided with an aperture 60through which the threaded end 18 of the rod 16 extends. There are fournuts 62, 63, 64 and 65 on the threaded ends 18, 30, 31 and 32 of the rodand sleeve assembly. Final nut 67 is on the threaded end 18 of rod 16and is adapted to bear against the wall 58 of sleeve 56 whose inner endbears against the plate 34.

In use and operation, the head 22 is arranged in a position shown inFIGURE 4 and pushed through tube 12 from one end thereof. Guides 35 and36 are in a down position (FIGURE 5) to center the repair device in thetube. Gasket 52 is pushed through the tube along with head 22 and comesto rest on the outer end of the defective boiler tube 12. Then, thesleeves 24, 26 and 28 are turned with respect to the rod 16 until all ofthe arrows of the sleeves are aligned. These arrows may be scribed atthe threaded end of the sleeves and are used merely to indicate when theplates 20, 40, 41 and 42 are in position to form a disk as shown inFIGURE 3. Then the nuts 62, 63, 64 and 65 are tightened thereby axiallysliding the sleeves on the rod 16 and interlocking plates 20, 40, 41 and42.

In order to provide more tension in rod 16, sleeve 56 can then beapplied over the nuts and threaded ends of the three sleeves and rods16. Nut 67 can then be placed on the threaded end 18 of the rod 16 andtightened.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A readily-insertable end-closing temporary repair device for adefective boiler tube while, for example, the boiler is being used,comprising a readily-insertable and removable ready-to-install deviceusable by a single Workman and insertable fro-m the end adjacent theworkman and embodying a plurality of concentric telescopically assembledsleeves, a rod mounted lengthwise in the bore of the innermost sleeve, atube-end closing and sealing head mounted on and carried by the distalends of the sleeves and rod respectively, said head including aplurality of cooperating segmental plates which, prior to insertion intothe bore of the tube, may be aligned one behind the other and allradiating in the same direction and manner and being longitudinallyspaced apart, the adjacent inner ends of the sleeves and rod,respectively, being available to the workman so that by progressivelyturning the rod and sleeves in a predetermined step-bystep manner thesegmental plates may be brought together and assembled in a manner todefine the stated closing and sealing head, and means connected with therespective inner proximal end portions of said sleeves and rod forlocking the sleeves in a predetermined relationship and correctlyproviding said head, said head functioning to span and seal the distalend of the boiler tube, and adjustable closing and sealing means at theproximal associated end portions of the sleeves and rod and serving toeffect a closure for the proximal end of said boiler tube.

2. A readily-insertable end-closing temporary repair device for adefective boiler tube while, for example, the boiler is being used,comprising a readily-insertable and removable ready-to-install deviceusable by a single workman and insertable from the end adjacent theworkman and embodying a plurality of concentric telescopically assembledsleeves, a rod mounted lengthwise in the bore of the innermost sleeve, atube-end closing and sealing head mounted on and carried by the distalends of the sleeves and rod respectively, said head including aplurality of cooperating segmental plates which, prior to insertion intothe bore of the tube, may be aligned one behind the other and allradiating in the same direction and manner and being longitudinallyspaced apart, the adjacent inner ends of the sleeves and rod,respectively, being available to the workman so that by progressivelyturning the rod and sleeves in a predetermined step-by-step manner thesegmental plates may be brought together and assembled in a manner todefine the stated closing and sealing head, and means connected with therespective inner proximal end portions of said sleeves and rod forlocking the sleeves in a predetermined relationship and correctlyproviding said head, said head functioning to span and seal the distalend of the boiler tube, and adjustable closing and sealing means at theproximal associated end portions of the sleeves and rod and serving toeffect a closure for the proximal end of said boiler tube, andlongitudinally elongated guide means carried by and radiating from anoutermost one of the sleeves, said mean being adapted to slide sled-likealong the bore of the boiler tube and to thus support the over-allweight of the assembled readyto-use device.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 and wherein said means comprises apair of spaced parallel elongated 'U- shaped runners having lateral endportions joined to the outermost sleeve at longitudinally spaced points,said runners being of a length less than the length of the bore of theboiler tube and yet of a length sufiicient to permit the two runners tofunction in efiectually inserting, supporting and guiding the over-alldevice into the position required and with the segmental platesprojecting beyond the distal end of the tube and in readiness to beadjusted 4 relative to each other to define and provide the stated head.

4. The structure defined in claim 2 and wherein said means comprises apair of spaced parallel elongated U- shaped runners having lateral endportions joined to the outermost sleeve at longitudinally spaced points,said runners being of a length less than the length of the bore of theboiler tube and yet of a length sufficient to permit the two runnerstofunction in effectually inserting, sup porting and guiding theover-all device into the position required and with the segmental platesprojecting beyond the distal end of the tube and in readiness to beadjusted relative to each other to define and provide the stated head,and wherein there are three sleeves; namely, an inner sleeve snuglysurrounding the rod, an intermediate sleeve surrounding the innersleeve, and an outer sleeve surrounding the intermediate sleeve, saidrod being of a length greater than all of said sleeves, the outermostsleeve being the shortest of the sleeves and the other intermediate andinner sleeves being longer, whereby the proximal ends of the sleeves maybe progressively exposed and threaded to accommodate assembling andretaining nuts.

5. The structure defined in claim 4, and wherein said sleeves havereadily available and visible markings at the threaded ends of thesleeves through the medium of which the relative positions of the sleeveand the respective head plates thereon may be located in order toinitially line up the segmental plates in single file and thereafterrotate the plates one by one until they nest together in head-formingrelationship.

6. The structure defined in claim 4, and wherein said sleeves havereadily available and visible markings at the threaded ends of thesleeves through the medium of which the relative positions of thesleeves and the respective head plates thereon may be located in orderto initially line up the segmental plates in single file and thereafterrotate the plates one by one until they nest together in head-formingrelationship, and an additional sleeve adapted to fit over the threadednut-equipped ends of said sleeves and having an end wall, said end wallbeing provided with an aperture through which the threaded end of therod projects, and an auxiliary nut on the threaded end of said rod andreacting against said wall to provide additional tension on the rod byexerting end-thrust pressure of the inner end of the additional sleeveagainst the cooperating sealing means at the proximal ends of thesleeves.

7. A readily-insertable defective boiler tube repair device designed andadapted to close and seal off both ends of the defective tube, saiddevice being usable by a single workman working entirely from anadjacent proximal end of the defective boiler tube, said devicecomprising a rod having one end screw threaded and provided withcooperating nuts, a segmental plate secured to the distal end of saidrod and lateral and radial thereto, a first innermost sleeveconcentrically encasing said rod and of a length less than the rod andhaving an inner end screw threaded and provided with a nut, the outerdistal end of said sleeve being provided with a radial segmental platesimilar to the first-named plate, an outer sleeve and an intermediatesleeve, the intermediate sleeve surrounding the inner sleeve, and theouter sleeve surrounding the intermediate sleeve, the inner proximalends of said outer and intermediate sleeves being screw threaded andprovided with nuts, the outer sleeve being of a length less than theintermediate sleeve, and the intermediate sleeve of a length less thanthe inner sleeve, the distal ends of said intermediate and outer sleeveshaving radial segmental plates which may be grouped and assembled toassume cooperating relationship and to define a closing and sealing headfor the outer otherwise open end of the boiler tube.

8. The structure defined in claim 7 and a one-piece gasket-equippedclosing and sealing head for the inner proximal end of the boiler tube,an additional end-thrust sleeve adapted to fit over the screw threadedends and nuts on the cooperating proximal end portions of the rod andseveral sleeves and having an end wall, said end wall provided with anaperture through which the screw threaded end of the rod projects, andan additional nut on said threaded end of said rod and reacting on saidend wall of said additional sleeve to draw additional tension on saidrod by having said sleeve react at an inner end against the cooperatingproximal end closing head.

9. A readily-insertable defective boiler tube repair device designed andadapted to close and seal ofi both ends of the defective tube, saiddevice being usable by a single workman working entirely from anadjacent proximal end of the defective boiler tube, said devicecomprising a rod having one end screw threaded and provided withcooperating nuts, a segmental plate secured to the distal end of saidrod and lateral and radial thereto, a first innermost sleeveconcentrically encasing said rod and of a length less than the rod andhaving an inner end screw threaded and provided with a nut, the outerdistal end of said sleeve being provided with a radial segmental platesimilar to the first-named plate, an outer sleeve and an intermediatesleeve, the intermediate sleeve surrounding the inner sleeve, and theouter sleeve surrounding the intermediate sleeve, the inner proximalends of said outer and intermediate sleeves being screw threaded andprovided with nuts, the outer sleeve being of a length less than theintermediate sleeve, and the intermediate sleeve of a length less thanthe inner sleeve, the distal ends of said intermediate and outer sleeveshaving radial segmental plates which may be grouped and assembled toassume cooperating relationship and to define a closing and sealing headfor the outer otherwise open end of the boiler tube, a gasket-equippedclosing and sealing head for the inner proximal end of said boiler tube,and a pair of spaced parallel elongated U-shaped runners having lateralend portions joined to the outermost sleeve at longitudinally spacedpoints, said runners being of a length less than the length of the boreof the boiler tube and yet of a length sufiicient to permit the tworunners to function in effectually inserting, supporting and guiding theoverall device into the position required and with the segmental platesprojecting beyond the distal end of the tube and in readiness to beadjusted relative to each other to define and provide the stated head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

